Farm-gate.



J. M. SPITLER.

FARM GATE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1913.

1 074 477 Patented Sept. 30, 1913. 1- V5 anaemic;

Witmeooao attomwg COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 20.. WASHINGTON. D c

are.

JOHN M. SPITLER, OF CABLE, WISCONSIN.

rear/Learn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

. Application filed January 23, 1913. Serial Ho. 743,820.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN .M. SPTILER, acitizen of the United States, residing .at Cable, in the county ofBayfield and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Farm-Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description ot the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to gates and particularly to farm gates.

The object of the invention is to generally improve the construction andoperation of this class of gates by providing an improved gate which maybe swung from a post at one end of a bracket, or inverted on ahorizontal pivot at its middle, or swung upon a vertical pivot at itsmiddle, the arrangement being such that the gate may be raisedhorizontally from the ground, and opened or closed by operating it uponany of the specified pivots.

With this object in view the invention consists of an improvedconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts of a gate, which willbe hereinafter fully described and afterward specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate anapproved embodiment ofmy invention, and in which,

Figure 1 represents the side elevation,

' Fig. 2 a top plan view, Fig. 3 a similar view with the gate in apartly opened condition shown in dotted lines, and Fig. t a fragmentarysectional view on the plane indicated by the broken line 1- l of Fig. 1.

In these drawings, in which similar reference characters correspond tosimilar parts throughout the several views, my improved gate consists ofstationary posts 5 and 6, a vertical and rotatable post 7, asubstantially horizontal supporting beam or arm 8, an adjustablesupporting element or link 9, a pivot support 10 and the gate proper orclosure element 11. The rotatable post 7 is provided with pivots 12 and13, the former being journaled in the support 10, and the latter pivotbeing journaled in a cap or bearing block 14 which is secured on top ofthe post 5. At the middle portion of the gate member 11 is a pair ofvertical battens 15, and through these battens extends a bolt 16 havingscrew threaded engagement with a hinge member 17 and being provided witha nut 18 whereby it is locked securely and firmly united with said hingemember, so as to form a pivot on which the gate member 11 is supported.This hinge member 17 is supported on the free end of the supporting armor beam 8', being pivotally connected thereto by means of a bolt 19. Abrace 20 engages with the upper end of the bolt 19,

' and is secured firmly on the supporting beam 8 by means of bolts 21and 22. The bolt 21 is formed with an eye which is engaged with the endof the link 9, said link having its other end engaged with an anchormember 23 which is secured to the post 7. The link 9 comprises twolengths of screw threaded rod having right and leftthrea-ds,respectively, and being engaged by an internally screw threaded element24:, so as to form a turnbuckle, whereby the length of the link may beincreased or reduced at will. The post 7 is provided with an aperture 7in which an end of the beam 8 is fitted, while a pivot-pin 26 extendsthrough said post and said beam, so that the free end of the beam may beraised and lowered, alternately, by means of the turnbuckle.

The gate post 7 is provided with latch elements 27, while similar latchelements are provided on the post 6; said latch elements being oftheordinary type in which the top is notched and the free end is inclined.However, this latch element differs from the ordinary kind by beingsecured to the post at its medial portion, and having its end portionsextending laterally and equally beyond the' sides of the post. In thepresentform of construction, I preferably secure one of the latchmembers 27 on a lower plane than the other of said latch members,although I do not confine my invention to this particular relation ofparts.

In practice, the ends of the gate panels 11 are seated in the respectivenotches of the latch members 27, while the turnbuckle is so adjustedthat it would support the gate "approximately on the same level if thelatch members were removed; and so, the weight of the gate is supportedby the latch memthe pivots 12 and 13, so that the closure may be causedto pass through the gate-way between the posts 6 and 7, and so it may bedisposed in the closed position shown in Fig. 8, wherein the ends of thegate are on opposite sides of the posts 6 and 7. When in this position,the closure 11 may be swung on its pivot 19, as indicated by dottedlines, independently of pivots 12 and 13, through approximately 180degrees, so that the ends of the closure change places with respect tothe posts 6 and 7, but on opposite sides thereof and in engagementwiththe other notches of the respective latch members 27.

l/Vhile being thus swung on the pivot 19,

the closure ll is balanced on its middle pivot, and therefore thefriction is greatly reduced, so that the ease of operation is greatlyincreased, as compared with gates of ordinary construction. Now,assuming that a pedestrian approaches the gate in the direction of thearrow (see Fig. 3), it will be seen that it is not essential for him towalk throughout the length of the gate, so as to open the same; but hemay raise the near end of the gate out of engagement with the member 27,and may pass between the closure 11 and post 7 and then either step overor duck under the beam 8; or else he may swing the gate on its pivot 19,as in broken lines, until the position is reversed, and he may walkthrough the gateway adjacent to the pivot 19 while the closure is thusbeing reversed, thereby saving several steps, and perhaps avoiding amud-hole or puddle, such as frequently occurs within gateways.

In case of deep snow, the turnbuckle 24 may be operated so as to raisethe entire closure 11 sufficiently to avoid the contact of the gate withthis impediment, and simi-' larly, the closure may be raised forallowing small animals to pass thereunder, as

previously mentioned. It may sometimes be desirable that large hogs orcalves may pass under the gate, while horses and large cattle arebarred, and in such case, the gate may be released from itscentral'connection wvith the beam 8 and inverted, so that, ob-

viously, the space under the gate would be greatly increased.

It will be seen that I have provided a gate of this character which isfully capable of attaining the foregoing objects, in a thoroughlypractical and eflicient manner.

I do not limit my invention to the exact details of construction,combination and arvertical axis, of a substantially horizontalswingingsupporting arm pivoted to theswiveled post, a gate proper, a bracketat-, Q

tached centrally to the gate on a horizontal pivot and resting on theend of the sup portingarm, a vertical pivot in saidbracket passing alsothrough the supportingarm,

and a main brace comprising a threaded rod attached to the arm, a likerod'attached to theswiveled post, and a turnbuckle connecting thethreaded rods.

2. The combination with a pair o-frigid posts and a post mounted toswivel on its swingingsupporting armv pivoted to'the swiveled post, agate proper, a bracket at-- top of the swinging arm, a vertical pivot insaid bracket passing also through the sup porting arm and brace, a plainbolt securing the brace to the arm, an eye-bolt passingthrough the armand brace and projectingabove the latter, and a main brace connectingthe eye-bolt with the swiveled post and comprising a turnbuckle.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN M. SPITLER.

lVitnesses P. W. Knunonia, H HENRY on LAFRENIERE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, I). G.

.vertical axis, of a substantially horizontal

